Egypt's judges 'will oversee constitution vote'

Egypt's most senior judges announced on Monday they would delegate judicial
officers to oversee a referendum on a controversial draft constitution,
overriding calls for a boycott, a presidential aide said.

Photo: AP

3:06PM GMT 03 Dec 2012

The Supreme Judicial Council's announcement that judges would monitor the December 15 vote across the country comes as a blow to President Mohamed Morsi's opponents, including judges, who had hoped to delegitimise the referendum.

Mohammed Gadallah, Morsi's legal aide, told AFP the decision meant that the referendum would take place under judicial supervision, despite calls for a boycott by the Judges Club, a powerful syndicate representing judges nationwide.

"The largest body responsible for judges is the Supreme Judicial Council," Gadallah said. "They realised they had a responsibility before the nation to supervise.

"This means, it's over," he said when asked whether it was still possible for the vote to be boycotted by judges.

He added that individual judges could excuse themselves from monitoring the vote after submitting their reasons in writing.

Gadallah said the State Council - the body that gives legal advice to the government - had also agreed to delegate judges to oversee the referendum.

The Judges Club took the boycott decision after Morsi on November 22 issued a decree expanding his powers and rushed through the adoption of the draft constitution at the heart of a political and ideological battle in Egypt.